Imagine Me and You
by freerangeegghead
Summary: In which,on the night before Santana's surprise wedding for Rachel, Santana reminisces about her first date with Rachel. One-shot stand-alone story meant to be a companion piece for "The Learning Curve" and "In the Loop" (Loop/Space/Learning/Opus or LSLO verse). Pezberry. Romance, fluff, awesomeness. Complete.


**_Dear readers: Here's a one-shot Pezberry story I wrote in the middle of writing "The Learning Curve" last 2012. It's meant to be a companion piece to Chapter 29 of "The Learning Curve" as well as a companion piece to "In the Loop"._**

**_This is for all the readers who have read and re-read all three stories and have reviewed and PM'ed and favorited and followed the stories. Many thanks. Something to tide you over until the next Pezberry installment, which after "True Delights", will be any moment now. Maybe. _:) _So, here, have some fluff._**

**_Disclaimer: Glee owns the Glee characters. The pop culture references aren't mine, either. The prose and original characters though, are. _:) _Mine, that is. _**

* * *

_Santana sighs as she settles herself into the covers, on their bed, lying back, staring at the ceiling, hearing the water run in their bathroom, hearing a little muffled noise of surprise from her wife when the toilet bowl growls and she can guess that hot steam is coming out of the toilet bowl. Santana guesses someone, Carlos maybe, has flushed the toilet down the hall again, just for fun, to elicit just this same kind of reaction from Rachel tonight. Santana makes a note to kick her brother's ass tomorrow. The evening sounds in their house are dying down as the night grows deep and everyone in the household is retiring to their rooms. _

_It is the night before their wedding, and Santana is a nervous bundle of nerves, feeling anxious and tense. It is a wedding that she at the insistence of her family, who insisted on an actual wedding (a civil wedding is not a real wedding, her mother and father have said), and with the help of her parents, Suzie, Quinn, Sam and Mike, they actually pull off planning a wedding without Rachel even knowing. _

_Santana had gone along with the plan, but she realizes suddenly, and unequivocally, that tomorrow afternoon, she will be marrying Rachel again, but this time, with family and friends present. Throwing her wife a surprise wedding seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, Santana is filled with doubts, thinks maybe it is a bad idea, especially since she doesn't know how Rachel would react to a surprise as big such as this._

_Santana puts her arms under her head as she stares up at the ceiling. All she can think of is, she hopes Rachel will understand. _

_Presently, the bathroom door opens and Rachel comes out in pajamas, trying to stifle a yawn behind her hand. Santana turns her head in Rachel's direction at about the same time Rachel comes out. They lock eyes for a moment and Rachel grins. Rachel slides onto her side of the bed and into Santana's side, and Santana unfolds her arms from behind her head to hold Rachel in her arms. Rachel puts her arm around Santana, runs her hand on Santana's jaw._

_Santana kisses her head and Rachel tilts her head to kiss her on the lips. Santana deepens the kiss and there is silence in their room for a while. _

_Finally, Rachel pulls back and grins. "What was that for?" she asks, tenderly. _

_Santana shrugs nonchalantly. "Nothing."_

_Rachel chuckles. "Are you okay?"_

_Santana nods her head. "Yeah."_

_Rachel hugs her. "Okay." Rachel yawns some more and mumbles, "I'm sorry, honey, I'm kind of really tired…"_

_Santana nods again. "It's okay."_

_Rachel nods and turns, lies on her left side. Santana automatically turns too, and wraps her right arm on Rachel. _

"_Good night, baby," Santana whispers. "I love you."_

"_Good night, honey," Rachel whispers back. "Love you…"_

_As Rachel drifts off to sleep, and Santana can feel her breathing turn even and regular, chest rising and falling, Santana holds her, moves closer, nuzzles Rachel's neck, inhales her smell, soap and shampoo and mint toothpaste._

_Santana can't sleep. _

_She doesn't know why but what comes to her is their first date in Lima, Ohio that cold December night those many years ago…_

* * *

Santana and Rachel sit awkwardly in front of each other at Breadstix, as Santana twirls pasta around on her plate with a fork. Rachel looks at her salad like it dragged itself on to her bowl and _died_ there. The restaurant is decorated in Christmas decors, wreaths, mistletoes, tinsel, Christmas lights and a Christmas tree. The stereo is playing Christmas songs and of course, to Santana's consternation, they are playing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

"You going to eat that?" Santana presently asks.

"Huh?" Rachel asks.

"_That_," Santana says, gesturing with her left hand, the one that is holding the fork, to Rachel's bowl.

"Uh…"

"Yeah, me, too," Santana says now, grinning, dropping her fork on her plate with a clutter and pushing her plate away. "I didn't realize this place is _crap._"

Rachel suddenly drops her own fork. "This is awkward."

"Yeah," Santana agrees. "This isn't going to work."

"Yes," Rachel says. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Santana grins. "Yeah. I know just the place."

Santana grabs the napkin from her lap and throws it on the table. "I'm just going to pay the bill…"

"San…" Rachel starts.

Santana looks up. "Yeah?"

"We're not starting out that way…"

Santana knits her eyebrows, confused. "Starting out in what way?"

Rachel tries to explain, but then just shrugs. "Just…we can go dutch…"

Santana looks at her, then her frown gets deeper. "Why?"

"Well, it's just…I've spent my whole life having people kind of take care of business for me…I…"

Santana is looking at her intently now, and Rachel blushes. Santana folds her arms and rests them on the table. She has that look on her face like she is thinking of her next argument, exactly like she is in court, planning her next move.

"I don't get it. I asked _you_ out," Santana says now, raising an eyebrow, quirking her lips into a smirk. "And you agreed to go out with me only if I was paying."

Rachel looks down on the table, feels herself blush even more, but when she finds the courage to look up she finds Santana grinning.

"Yes, but…" Rachel struggles to continue. "It's a bit _dated_, don't you think? I mean I know it's kind of sweet and chivalrous in that pseudo-medieval, Victorian kind of way…"

"Chivalrous? _Dated_?" Santana asks, frowning. "What the hell, Rachel? How would offering to pay for a date be considered chivalrous and dated?" Santana asks, putting her hands up in confusion. "And also, you got your stuff mixed up."

"What?"

"The medieval age couldn't be in the same age as the Victorian age, you should know that," Santana points out. "Not a big fan of classic literature - those people don't speak good English none," she says, doing her best Ghetto voice, "But I certainly know that's not the same age."

Rachel resists the urge to smile, but she gives her a half-smile anyway, and says, shaking her head, "It just _is_." When Santana does not say anything, she says, "I realize I am new to this whole…" and here she shrugs, waves a hand casually, voice trailing off, "_Gay_ thing, and you're kind of only, like, the second or third woman I've dated so…"

Santana begins to grin and says, "You _dated_ women before? Was it _before_ or _after_ we had that…_thing_…"

Rachel blushes even more.

Santana waits for her answer, eyebrows raised. "Also, technically, you're not really new at this if you dated women before."

When Rachel does not answer, Santana leans even closer and says, "Well?"

"_After_," Rachel replies, sheepishly, feeling her face warm up to Santana's gaze, but then she shakes her head and says, "But that's not the point."

"What _is_ the point?" Santana asks now, quirking a smile, eyes dancing mischievously.

Rachel smiles back, but then she says, "The _point_ is you don't need to pay for dinner. I can pay for my dinner."

Before either one knows it, they have launched into what Santana will realize later on will be one of many arguments. The argument now is about who should pay, with Santana insisting she should because she had asked Rachel out, and Rachel launching into a whole tirade on gender roles, stereotypes, butch-femme roles, outdated modes of chivalry, sexism and misogyny.

Santana stares at her after, jaw open, speechless. She throws her hand in the air. She shakes her head. "_Geez_, Rach. It's just a _date_. I'm not _oppressing_ you or anything. You can pay for our future dates. All of it, if you want. Geez. There'll be plenty of time for that. You can be on top, too if you want. And you can be on the danger side of the street and you can hold doors for me and shit. I don't care."

Rachel rolls her eyes. But then she stops, and grinning, she asks, "So there's going to be a second date?"

Santana chuckles. "Hell, yeah," she answers, triumphantly. "A second, a third, a fourth, a fifth…ad infinitum…"

Rachel laughs. "Do I even get a say in this?"

Santana shakes her head.

"Butch. I admire your confidence."

"Thanks," Santana says. "I try."

Rachel laughs again.

"And also, you took _way_ too many Women's Studies courses, didn't you?" Santana teases now as she motions for the server to give them the check.

Rachel smiles. "A couple, maybe. NYADA didn't have the best Women's Studies courses, but I did have this professor, Tipper Potts, who was awesome…"

"Yeah?" Santana says, interested, as she pays for the bill with her credit card. "Do tell."

And so Rachel tells Santana about the professor, Tipper Potts, that she had when she was in NYADA as they leave Breadstix quickly.

* * *

"_This_ is your idea of a first date?"

Santana looks at Rachel now, standing before her, in bowling shoes that seem too big for her, that seem to clash with her blouse and tight jeans. They are at the Lima bowling alley and the sound of bowling balls rolling down the lane and crashing against pins come to them from their vantage point near the counter, where they are putting on bowling shoes. It is a week day, but with the holiday crowd of kids on winter break, the bowling alley is moderately crowded. It is brightly lit and clean and shiny, full of chatter and laughter. They are playing old 1980s music on the loudspeakers.

Santana grins. "What?"

"I look like a dork."

"Rachel," Santana says, "I was under the impression that you have _always_ been a dork. Why exactly I'm on a date with you, I'll never know."

"_You_ asked me out," Rachel reminds her, as she grins. "And I am _not_ a dork," Rachel says now. "I'm _extraordinary_."

Santana laughs before she gazes at Rachel with a tender look on her face. "That you are, babe, that you are."

"_Don't_ call me that," Rachel says, annoyed. "Whenever you call me that, all I can think of is that pig and Pamela Anderson in that movie."

Santana laughs. "You watched 'Babe'? The one with Pamela Anderson?"

Rachel shrugs then says, defensive, "I was bored, I was curious."

"No need to be defensive, _babe_, my brother Carlos? Made me watch both movies and 'Baywatch' reruns _a lot_," Santana says with a grin, "That's one impressive rack."

"Well, now we know which people turned you gay."

When Santana does not reply, Rachel looks and realizes Santana has stared off into space, presumably to imagine Pamela Anderson in both a red "Baywatch" swimsuit and in black leather, Rachel leans over, snaps her fingers in front of Santana, and says, "San, _Santana_, where are you right now? This is all about _me_, remember?"

Santana laughs and says, "Sorry. Wasn't thinking about her. Was thinking about you actually."

Rachel frowns. "I'm right _here_. What were you thinking of?"

"Well, I don't know if you want to know but, it involves a red swimsuit and some black leather…"

"You know what? I actually don't want to know," Rachel quickly says, smiling. "But these shoes still make me look terrible."

"Aaaw, no it doesn't," Santana says now, finishing up lacing her bowling shoes, pushing herself up off the bench and taking a few steps closer to Rachel. She looks at Rachel now and smiles. "Those shoes make you look like a hobbit," Santana jokes. When Rachel knits her eyebrows at her, Santana quickly says, "A very _hot_ hobbit."

Santana gives her a winning grin, casually grabs Rachel's hand and pulls her to the bowling area. "Come on," she says to the other woman.

"This is also wonderfully original," Rachel continues now, a bit sarcastically, as she lets Santana lead her. "I distinctly remember one Finn Hudson taking me here for a pseudo date sophomore year in high school."

Santana rolls her eyes. "Yes, but this one Finn Hudson also worshipped Jesus on toast, so I'm guessing I'm a step up."

Rachel looks at her, a challenging glint in her eye. "Do you really want to go there?"

Santana considers this for a while and says, "Fine, we're not."

"Good."

A song starts playing on the speakers,

"_Looking in your eyes I see a paradise__  
This world that I found is too good to be true.__  
_

"Cool, 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now'," Rachel says, heading to the balls lined up before them and picks one up. "Starship."

_Standing here beside you__  
Want so much to give you__  
This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you…"_

Santana grins. "You know the song. Awesome. Thought you only knew show tunes and Barbara Streisand."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Rachel simply says.

"Yeah, I'm not sure though if I want to know more about your cheesy, campy taste in music, but hey, whatever floats your boat, babe!" Santana says. She looks around now and comments, "This place sucks! It always sounds like it's stuck in the 80s or something."

But when the next line plays, Santana sings along,

"_Let 'em say we're crazy__  
I don't care about that__…"_

Rachel stares at Santana as she sings. Santana realizes she is singing the song and stops, embarrassed.

She shrugs. "What? My mom and brother used to play those songs when I was a kid."

Rachel smiles.

She heaves the bowling ball on to the lane and it bounces down the lane, pathetically, before it bounces to the next lane. A laugh comes out of Santana before she can stop herself and Rachel turns and glares at her, shutting Santana up.

"_Put your hand in my hand__  
Baby, don't ever look back.__  
Let the world around us just fall apart__  
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart…"_

Santana now stands up, grabs another bowling bowl and hands it to Rachel.

"Ba-_Rach,_" Santana says now, as she stands beside Rachel. "Holding the ball _properly_ is an important part of bowling…."

And then Santana launches into a brief lecture on the importance of holding the ball properly, to Rachel rolling her eyes.

After Santana is done with her lecture, she stands behind Rachel and puts her hands on Rachel's shoulders and gently turns her towards the lane. Rachel is in front of her, and she is behind her, her hand gently positioning Rachel's arms as she says, "Your arms need to be at the proper angle so you can maximize the force needed to propel the ball down the lane."

Santana then continues by saying, "You have to approach the platform at the right moment, got to know how to release the ball at the exact moment. It's basically like throwing the ball in football."

"You lost me at football," Rachel says now, smiling at the feel of Santana's body pressed against her. "I mean, it's all great…if I was actually interested in football, which I'm not. But maybe if you put both your arms there…. "

"_And we can build this dream together__  
Standing strong forever__  
Nothing's gonna stop us now…__"_

Santana smiles at her as she puts both her arms on Rachel. "Shoulders back, Rach," she says, lips near Rachel's ear, chin nearly on top of Rachel's left shoulder, "Chin up, focus on the ball, focus on the goal, be one with the ball…_be_ the ball…"

"_And if this world runs out of lovers__  
We'll still have each other.__  
Nothing's gonna stop us.__  
Nothing's gonna stop us now…__"_

At this point, Rachel cannot help but burst out laughing.

"What?" Santana asks, puzzled.

"Do your moves actually _work_ on girls?" Rachel teases her now, turning her head to look at Santana who is still holding her in her arms.

Santana leans back a bit, but does not let go of Rachel. "Uhhh…It's not working?"

"Sweetie, you're adorable, and though I don't know a lot about sports because I'm mostly not interested in them, I do have a basic understanding of the laws of physics, equilibrium and geometry," Rachel smiles. Then she shakes her head. "So, no, not really. But I love that you keep trying!"

"Aaaaww," Santana says, mock dejection on her face. "How about if I say something like, I wish I could go back in time and rearrange my life so I can be yours from the womb?"

Rachel throws back her head and laughs. "Oh, god, that's horrible. Cheesy. Cringe-worthy. Have you been hanging out with Sam again? You are a geek and a half, Santana Lopez."

"I am _not_," Santana says, indignantly.

"Yeah, you are," Rachel says.

"Seriously, I'm not," Santana insists.

"Okay, who's the best James Bond?"

"Sean Connery, hands down," Santana automatically says, quickly.

Rachel looks at her triumphantly, as if to say, "There you go."

"Oh, crap," Santana says when she realizes what just happened. "That was a trap. You tricked me."

Rachel laughs. "It's fine. Geek is the new sexy."

Santana stares at her, then throws back her head and roars.

Rachel looks at her confused, but Santana only smiles and puts her hand on Rachel's cheek. "This is some weird shit. I'm going out with Rachel Berry."

"Well, this is weird for me, too, _I'm_ going out with Santana Lopez."

Santana thinks for a moment and sighs. "Fair point. Especially since you once told me the only job I'll ever get is working a pole."

Rachel blushes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's fine," Santana says, grinning and shrugging. "Pushed me to finish law school."

They both are quiet for a few minutes. Thankfully, Santana's mobile phone rings, breaking the silence between them. She fishes out her mobile phone and answers it.

"Hey, kiddo," Santana says into the phone, smiling apologetically in Rachel's direction.

Rachel just smiles back and nods, picking up another bowling ball and watching Santana as she does.

"Hey, Mom!" Suzie says cheerily. "How's the date going?"

Santana chuckles. "It was going great. 'Til you called," she teases.

"Sorry," Suzie says. "I just wanted to know how your date with Rachel is going."

"It's fine, Suzie, the date is going well," Santana says now, raising her eyebrows at Rachel.

Rachel smiles and half-shrugs.

Santana grins.

"I mean…Mom, your dates never get past the first course, I think," Suzie says. "Uncle Carlos said. I got worried."

"Suzie," Santana says, sighing. "How many times am I going to say it? Not everything Uncle Carlos says is true."

There is a silence on the other line before Suzie speaks again. "Oh, okay. So I guess I shouldn't believe the other thing Uncle Carlos said, too."

"What did Uncle Carlos say?" Santana asks, silently cursing her brother for having fun at her expense.

"That you got no game," Suzie says.

Santana closes her eyes. "I do too have game."

"I mean, after the last date you had before, I'm beginning to think maybe Uncle Carlos _is_ right."

"Suzie," Santana says, eyes flying open. "We'll probably lose this one if you don't get off the phone so we can get on with our date."

"Oh, okay, hadn't thought of that. Sorry, Mom!" Suzie says now, in a sing-song voice. "Can Rachel come for _Noche Buena_? I know she's vegan or vegetarian or whatever, and she's Jewish and stuff but maybe _Abuela_ can come up with something for her! I totally think she wouldn't mind coming!"

"Yes, kiddo, I guess _Abuela_ can," Santana says. "I've got to go now, Rachel's getting bored I think."

"I probably shouldn't call her Rachel now shouldn't I?" Suzie continues now, as if she did not hear what Santana has just said.

"What?"

"I mean, if Rachel becomes my new mom, I shouldn't call her just Rachel, right?" Suzie says now.

"Um…" Santana says, growing a bit uncomfortable, face slightly flushing as she catches Rachel looking at her and she tries to avert her gaze from Rachel's gaze.

"I mean, I can't call her 'Mom', just 'cause that would confuse you and me," Suzie says, "I can't call her 'Mommy' just 'cause I used to call Mommy Britt, 'Mommy'. And I don't think Rachel's a 'Mama' or a 'Mother'. She's too young for 'Mother' and 'Mama' and 'Mami' don't seem right…"

Santana sighs, steals a furtive glance in Rachel's direction, who has returned the bowling ball in its place, taken out her mobile phone and is going through her mobile. Rachel looks sexy and stunning in her tight jeans and blouse. Santana smiles. "Yes, I don't think she's a 'Mother' or a 'Mama'."

"Yeah, I thought so, too," Suzie agrees, before sighing. "This whole stepmom thing is hard."

Santana chuckles. "Yeah, but can you let us get through our first date first, sweetie? I'm sure you'll find the right word to call her in next to no time. You always figure these things out, sweetie."

"I do, don't I?" Suzie says, sounding pleased with herself. "Okay, I'm going to leave you guys alone now."

"Great, kiddo," Santana says. "Bye, Suzie, be good!"

"Okay, Mom!" Suzie says. "Oh, and Mom?"

"What?"

"Take your time with your date. Come home late," Suzie says. "In fact, come home tomorrow if you want. It's totally okay with me. With _everyone_ here actually. Uncle Carlos says this is a time to celebrate. I don't know why they need to celebrate but…"

Santana blushes. "Uh, okay, sweetie, take care now, bye bye then."

Suzie gets off the phone, and Santana stares at her mobile for a second before she grins, shakes her head and looks up to see Rachel looking at her.

"Sorry about that," Santana tells Rachel, sheepishly.

"It's fine," Rachel says. "It's kind of sweet Suzie is checking up on you."

"Yeah, with luck, I'll probably never get another date until Suzie's about…oh, I don't know…_fifty_ or something."

Rachel laughs. "Hey, I thought I get dibs on dates with you."

Santana grins, then quirks up one eyebrow. "Oh, do you now?"

Rachel grins back. "Yes. I have it on good authority."

They smile back at each other shyly. Finally they resume playing.

They play a few more games before they decide to go somewhere else.

"Where to now?" Rachel asks her, as she puts on her shoes.

Santana thinks for a moment, before her eyes light up and she says, "I have an idea."

"Oh, god, does it involve wearing geeky stuff?" Rachel asks.

"No," Santana says, "But it involves _doing_ geeky stuff!" and she laughs.

Rachel looks at her suspiciously, but she has no time to protest because Santana suddenly grabs her hand.

* * *

They find themselves at the arcade.

The place is awash in different flashing and blinking lights from the different video games around, filled with kids, teenagers and adults playing different games, shouting and laughing.

"What are we doing here?" Rachel asks, standing uncertainly beside Santana. "If this is your idea of a romantic night out, I'm seriously going to have to rethink my dating options."

"Hey," Santana says, mock hurt in her voice, as she buys some chips from the counter. "I'm seriously offended by that. And also, I'll have you know, my daughter says I'm a great catch in all fifty states! Oooh, there!" she says, pointing out an area within their field of vision, "Shooting baskets!"

Santana sees Rachel rolling her eyes, but Santana grabs her hand towards the basketball hoops, pops in the chips and starts to grab each ball and shoot them in quick succession in the moving hoop. "Quick, start shooting balls!"

"I'm not good at this," Rachel says, as she takes a step forward, gingerly grabs a ball and half-heartedly tries to shoot a ball into the hoop. The ball bounces off the rim, and hits a guy on the head in the next booth, shooting baskets.

"Sorry, sorry," Rachel tells the guy.

The guy rubs his head, frowns and nods.

"Rach, it's all in the wrist, you don't have to kind of do that thing where your whole body is attempting to shoot the ball into the hoop," Santana says. She grabs a ball and demonstrates how to do it, her left wrist quickly flicking the ball onto the hoop. The score changes as the ball goes through. "In fact, you don't have to kind of put your whole chest out when you're shooting. It's kind of incredibly distracting, your bosom heaving like that…"

When Rachel just stares at her, Santana says, "On second thought, it's fine. I do enjoy heaving bosoms."

Rachel rolls her eyes.

Santana laughs. "Quick, I'm trying to win you a big fluffy bear," she says, grinning.

"Fine," Rachel says. "But I'm seriously getting bored. And I didn't know you were a big jock, too."

"I am _not_," Santana denies, mock heatedly. "But my brother and I used to shoot some baskets before, so."

After they shoot a few more hoops, Santana says, "Okay, fine, fine. Let's go somewhere else."

* * *

"What am I doing here?" Rachel says, as she finds herself standing in front of the blinking dance revolution machine.

"What do you mean what are we doing here?" Santana asks, grinning. "We're going to dance. Winner gets to choose the punishment for the loser."

As the Black-Eyed Peas version of "Time Of Your Life" plays, Santana says, "Quick! First position!"

"_Now I 've had the time of my life_

_Though I've never felt this way before…"_

"But I don't know how to do this…!" Rachel says, panicking as the techno beat starts and the machine starts to light up and pulsate with the rhythm.

"_Yes I swear, it's so true_

_And I owe it all to you…"_

"Just…follow the lights on the floor!" Santana instructs, as she starts to pound the floor with her feet, as she watches the screen light up with instructions. "Come on, it's time to do some serious dancing!"

As the beat starts to pound and the lights and arrows start to blink feverishly, Rachel starts to tentatively move her feet to the beat, even as Santana grins and starts hopping up and down on the floor, throwing up her hands in the air, swaying to and fro, bobbing her head as she tries to follow the arrows blinking on the screen. She grabs Rachel's hand and she grins at her and Rachel grins back, and the throbbing rhythm of the music, the voices, noise, the whole world suddenly seems to fall away as they just gaze at each other, seeming only to have eyes for each other.

* * *

"Why, oh, why, are we here?" Rachel asks now, as she struggles to keep her balance on the ice, Santana holding her carefully by the arms.

They now find themselves at the almost empty outdoor skating rink, surrounded by snow-covered tall trees. The landscape is blanketed with thick snow. A soft breeze blows through the two women. Rachel is shivering slightly, even in her thick coat, wool cap, mittens and scarf. Santana just grins at her.

"Honey, this is great and everything but," Rachel says, "I think we've kind of established I'm not really that good with anything related to sports or motion really."

There is an instant of tenderness that goes through Santana's eyes when Rachel says the term of endearment, an expression that Rachel misses as she shivers. Santana smiles at her and laughs. "You used to dance. In high school."

Rachel stares at her. "I can't believe you remember that."

Santana grins. She shrugs. "You kind of made a big deal about how you've been taking dance lessons since forever. Although honestly Brittany is a better dancer!"

Rachel stops, not knowing what to say to that.

"_Was_, was, sorry," Santana corrects herself.

Rachel sufficiently recovers to say, "It's fine. She was a great dancer."

Santana smiles in relief.

Rachel takes a few steps forward and almost slips but Santana immediately steps forward and catches her. Rachel finds herself holding on to Santana for dear life. Santana can smell a faint smell of spring and ocean mist on Rachel. She can feel Rachel's warmth even through thick layers of clothes, gloves, a cap and a scarf. It is winter and it is December and it is cold and she shivers and Santana tightens her hug around Rachel. She looks up and she sees snowflakes drifting slowly down on them. Santana leans over and touches Rachel's nose with one gloved finger.

"Your nose is red," Santana comments. "You look like Rudolph. Are you cold? You want to get out of here?"

Rachel shakes her head, enjoying the warmth of Santana's arms around her. "No, it's fine. Besides, I lost that dance thing whatever. And this is the punishment right?"

Santana grins. "Yeah, you weren't kidding about not knowing how to play that stuff!"

Rachel looks at her. "I _told_ you."

Santana reluctantly pulls away and leads her out onto the ice. Rachel grips her hand, nervously putting one foot in front of the other as she slips and almost slides, and Santana is there, holding her firmly, right hand on Rachel's waist, left arm holding Rachel's left arm firmly, body molding itself to Rachel's against the cold.

Slowly, Santana pushes them towards the center of the ice.

"This isn't going to break, is it?" Rachel nervously asks now, looking at the ice below.

"Naw," Santana says. "And if it does, I know first aid."

Rachel glares at her. "That's not helping."

"Sorry," Santana says now, half-smiling. "How about we play that name-that-tune game we used to do before?"

"Yes?" Rachel asks, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, still slipping and sliding on the ice. "Still got it?"

Santana rolls her eyes. "Hell yeah!" And she starts singing,

"_Do that to me one more time, _

_Once is never enough, _

_With a man like you…"_

"'Do That To Me One More Time'," Rachel guesses, as she slips and her grip tightens on Santana.

Santana grins. "How about this…?"

"_Oh, I would take the stars out of the sky for you _

_Stop the rain from falling if you ask me to _

_I'd do anything for you, your wish is my command _

_I could move a mountain when your hand is in my hand …"_

Rachel grins back, "'You To Me Are Everything' by The Real Thing."

"Dammit, you're good!" Santana teasingly says. "How about this…?"

"_Tonight you're mine completely_

_You give your love so sweetly_

_Tonight the light of love is in your eyes_

_But…"_

Rachel laughs. "Easy. 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow'. By the late, great Amy Winehouse."

When Santana just looks at her, surprised, Rachel shrugs and says, "It's not that hard to guess, Santana. Amy Winehouse is like you're go-to singer for anything. You have a great voice. You're like a deadringer for Amy Winehouse."

"So you noticed my song choices in high school."

"I notice a lot of things about you Santana. Like I notice how much of a geek you are when you think nobody's listening," Rachel says before she can stop herself. "Okay, that sounded faintly stalker-ish."

Santana laughs. "Just a little bit. But I don't mind."

Rachel laughs. "Okay, my turn!" Rachel says now, as she starts singing.

"_You, shouldn't hesitate 'bout my feelings for you_

_I've prove on so many times and different ways to you_

_I hope somewhere deep inside you know that I love you_

_Coz whenever you come walkin' my way…_

_I said hey, hey, I love you til the morning comes…"_

Santana grins. "I'm impressed. 'Hey'. Fatima Rainey. Okay. My turn. _A stick, a stone…_"

Rachel laughs triumphantly, stops, steps back from Santana's arm and declares, "Waters of March! Basia!"

Santana grins back, but then Rachel makes a slight movement and she finds herself slipping on the ice again, and there is a moment of pure panic and fear on her face as she reaches out for Santana, arms flailing as Santana quickly steps forward to catch her. Before they know it, they are falling on the ice together, Santana landing on the ice on her back and Rachel landing on top of Santana, Santana making a pained face as she hits the ice.

"Ow!" Santana says. "That hurt!"

Santana lifts her head up and almost collides with Rachel's forehead.

"Sorry," Rachel says now. "But, look on the bright side, at least you kept your promise to let me be on top!"

"Yeah, now if I could only make you do role plays with me, that would be awesome!"

"Well, that depends. What kind of role plays are you into?" Rachel gamely replies, smiling at Santana.

Santana blushes. They look at each other before they burst into laughter. Then they both stop, and gaze at each other, for what seems like ages, before Rachel's face turns into one of concern as she asks, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Santana shakes her head.

Rachel exhales a sigh of relief. "Good," she says, as she lifts a hand to Santana's face. "This is all just a big excuse to cop a feel isn't it?"

Santana chuckles. "Gotta admit, it's a brilliant plan, no?"

Rachel chuckles. Then she stops and gazes at Santana.

They both smile shyly at each other. Rachel looks at Santana as if this is all she wants to do for the rest of her life, holding Santana, lying on the ice, in the middle of a cold, wintry December, as they shiver and hold each other for warmth. Santana breaks the silence.

"I guess I need to take you home now," Santana says.

Rachel nods as she struggles to get up and Santana gets up after her.

* * *

Santana walks Rachel home.

"Okay, this is me," Rachel says. "Good night," she says, and she leans over to kiss Santana, but a car's headlights suddenly flash by and she jumps back.

"Uh, good night," Rachel says again, embarrassed.

"Okay," Santana mutters, equally embarrassed.

Rachel nods and turns around to head for the front door, but suddenly Santana reaches out and clutches Rachel's hand and Rachel stops, feels the tug as Santana pulls her towards her and before either one knows it, they are kissing each other, Santana's soft lips on Rachel's, light and tender and sweet.

Santana's heart stops and starts again and she cannot hear anything for the rushing in her ears and the pounding of her heart. But Rachel surprises her by kissing her back and Santana is relieved, then grateful, as Rachel's hands come up to cup Santana's face in her hands.

Rachel reluctantly pulls back, gazes at Santana for a few moments, and then says, softly, "I was wondering when that would happen."

Santana laughs. "Sorry. A bit rusty. Is all."

Rachel laughs as well. "I had a great time."

"Really?" Santana asks. "You're not just saying that."

Rachel pretends to think for a few seconds then says, "Well, I could have done with a less geeky date, but hey, that's fine."

Santana chuckles. "Okay."

Rachel nods now. "Well, good night."

"Okay,"Santana says. "Can I call you sometime?"

Rachel smiles. "Sure."

* * *

The sometime comes soon enough.

Santana calls Rachel that night.

"Hey," Santana greets.

"Hey," Rachel says. "Did you get home safely?"

"Uh…not exactly…"

"What? Where are you?"

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"Look out your window."

Rachel comes to the window when she sees some movement, draws the curtains aside, pulls up the window, leans out and looks outside. In the light of the moon and the street light across the street from Rachel's house, is Santana, half-crouching by the branch of the tree that stands just outside Rachel's window. Santana balances herself on the thick branch, shivering in her thick jacket and jeans. With little effort, Santana swings herself onto the roof and window ledge.

Rachel looks at her, incredulous and surprised and hisses, "What on earth are you doing out there? Get in here."

Santana grins sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't wait for tomorrow."

Rachel half-frowns, half-smiles. "Get in here."

Santana smirks. "What, you don't like grand romantic gestures?"

Rachel sighs. "Ugh, you know me too well."

Santana chuckles softly. "I can probably recite that whole 'Romeo and Juliet' balcony scene if you want." She leans back slightly, thinks for a while and then jokes, "I think it's… 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair… '"

"Dork," Rachel whispers, smiling, not waiting for her to finish her sentence. She smiles as she grabs Santana's hand and pulls Santana into the window and towards her. She kisses Santana and Santana kisses her back and there is a warmth that spreads from deep within Santana's being, like Rachel has set something afire deep within her gut.

"I thought we were taking it slow?" Santana whispers.

"You were the one outside my window."

"Good point."

"And don't think you should make a habit of climbing into my window," Rachel lectures her now. "I don't even know how you did that. And are we still teenagers, sneaking into my room like this?"

"Cheerios and Louisville cheerleading practices. Also years of climbing in and out of Brittany's window," Santana explains.

Rachel rolls her eyes, but she smiles. "I…don't really want to know what you used to do before. Though it's a bit weird to see a grown woman climbing through my window."

Santana laughs as Rachel puts her hand on Santana's nape and pulls Santana close for a kiss even as she helps Santana slip her coat and jacket off.

They fall back on Rachel's bed as each one fumbles with the other's clothes, Rachel's hands slipping into Santana's shirt and lifting it up off Santana, whilst Santana unbuttons Rachel's pajama top. Rachel goes for Santana's jeans, unbuttoning it and pulling it down as Santana's hands snake into Rachel's waistband, pulling down her pajama bottoms down Rachel's thighs and legs.

Santana shifts and looks down as her hands reach for Rachel's underwear. She pauses and looks up, smiling, "Aww, baby, you wore granny panties just for me. That is so sweet. And hot. I think My _Abuela_ has the exact same panties, but in a different shade."

Rachel blushes in the half-darkness and she pulls back, raising one eyebrow and smirking, "Do you or do you not want to get laid tonight?"

Santana grins. "Sorry." She skids up and over and kisses Rachel again.

"Good answer," Rachel whispers as she kisses her back.

Santana chuckles as they both slip into the thick blankets and press into each other's bodies, enjoying each other's warmth, Santana on top of her, holding her close.

Rachel smiles into Santana's kisses as she pulls Santana closer to her, shifts on the bed so that Santana plops between her, thigh between her legs as Santana begins to press and rock into her. Rachel gasps and moans and Santana kisses her even more before she stops and pulls back.

"Wait, is this okay?" Santana whispers.

"You ask me this only now? It's a little too late for that, isn't it?" Rachel whispers back. "And it's not like we haven't done this before."

Santana laughs softly. "You sure? Sex on first dates usually makes things weird or something."

"Technically, we kind of got the sex out of the way the first time, so."

"True. Dammit, you're right."

Rachel laughs. "Now stop being so damn sensitive and kiss me."

"Alright, alright, so bossy!" Santana whispers as she leans down again and kisses Rachel.

There is silence again as they kiss each other. Santana's right hand snakes under Rachel's head, left hand travelling down the length of Rachel's body, from chest to breast, to waist to hip, before finding itself on Rachel's inner thigh, and as fingers move to the pulsating heat and dampness deep within Rachel, Rachel gives out a gasp, then she erupts into pants that she tries to muffle by burying herself deeper into Santana's neck.

Santana can feel Rachel close to the edge but then, a light knock and a voice from behind the door, presumably by one of Rachel's parents, interrupts them. The two women freeze as Rachel slightly moans in frustration and says, between pants, as she tries to catch her breath, "Y-yes?"

"Did you lock the door?" Santana whispers.

Rachel nods.

"Rachel? You okay in there? We heard some noise…some voices…"

"Uh, yes, I'm okay," Rachel calls out from the bed now.

Santana moves to kiss Rachel on the neck, lips and tongue teasing her, leaving a trail of warmth and moisture even as the fingers of her left hand tickle Rachel between her legs, eliciting an unexpected gasp and a moan from Rachel that Rachel tries to muffle with a hand. Rachel recovers enough to hit Santana on the shoulder, shakes her head as if to scold Santana, trying to keep a straight face whilst doing so, but failing to do so. Santana grins, puts her lips to Rachel's ear and whispers, "Blueballs, ugh," before Santana starts to snicker and quickly buries her lips onto Rachel's neck to stifle the laughter threatening to explode from her.

"Stop it," Rachel whispers back, barely being able to conceal her own laughter as well.

"What's going on in there?"

"Dad!" Rachel calls out, now looking embarrassed. "Nothing. I was just…err…rehearsing...? Thanks…Please go back to sleep, I'm fine."

"Okay, just checking," her dad says. "Night, sweetie."

"Night, dad," Rachel calls out.

They both wait as the footsteps step away from Rachel's doorway, recede, and enter her fathers' bedroom, the light in the hallway clicked off, and a door creaking close before Santana and Rachel look at each other in the darkness and erupt in snickers.

"Next time we come home to Lima, you are so staying at our place," Santana whispers.

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Yes, because a bigger family would probably leave us alone more…"

Santana doesn't let her finish. She resumes kissing Rachel and resumes rocking into her. In a few seconds, Rachel is writhing and squirming and moaning softly beneath her, arms tight around Santana's naked back and it is not long before Rachel comes undone in Santana's arms.

* * *

Later, as they lay in each other's arms, thoroughly satiated and exhausted, Santana laughs softly and says, "Best first date _ever_."

Rachel laughs before she seeks out Santana's lips and kisses her. "Yeah, that was kind of cool." Then Rachel pulls back, and says, "But next time, I get to choose where we go for our next date."

Santana laughs. "Okay. Nothing Barbra Streisand-y, okay? No Broadway, none of those pretentious modern dance crap or improv theater or performance art theater or whatever where everyone's pretending to be more talented than they are and everyone's pretending to know they know what it all means, but they really don't. Kind of like, any David Lynch movie. Like 'Mulholland Drive'."

Rachel grins. "Okay."

They talk well into the night, in each other's arms, cuddling and kissing and snickering, whispering to each other as they drift into sleep.

Santana realizes she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her evenings like this.

Santana hasn't had this much fun in years.

Santana thinks it is the best first date ever.

* * *

_Rachel stirs now, and pushes her body back into Santana for warmth and Santana tightens her hug. Santana feels the love for her wife surging through her now, a gentle warmth flooding her being, as she pulls her wife closer. For some strange reason, she thinks maybe it's going to be alright. She kisses Rachel on the neck and on the shoulder and before she drifts off to sleep herself, whispers to Rachel, "Good night, baby, I love you…"_

* * *

**_Author's end notes: _**

**_That's it for this story. As you can see, and as I have discovered, I _am_ capable of writing a one-shot. Hahah! I wasn't sure about this one-shot (or even sure about posting it), but I started writing it between the Thanksgiving and Christmas chapters of "The Learning Curve". But I showed it to my beta, DragonsWillFly and she loved it, encouraged me to expand and post it, so thank you ever so much, DragonsWillFly, for all the support, helpful suggestions, humor and for believing this was worth posting. _**

**_This story is for all y'all readers, but especially parker88, because you started speaking another language because of this _ _, kutee for always getting the references, melovepezberry, kickangel, frustratedwriter13 (hope this tides you over til I get past that brick wall), SoFlaComet and CarolineSC (your comments actually inspired this one-shot) and everyone else! _**

**_Again, points for you if you guess the references. Winner gets a goat for a prize. And also some tacos, empanada, burritos, burgers and fries. P.S. Goat, tacos, empanada, burritos, burgers and fries may be imaginary. _:-)**

**_Thanks for reading and reviewing kindly! Hope you enjoy this!_**

**Songs featured for this story:**

**"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship (because power ballads are awesome, okay?)**

**"Do That To Me One More Time" (because I totally think Santana can rock jazz and adult contemporary!)**

**"You To Me Are Everything" by the Real Thing**

**"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Amy Winehouse (cover)**

**"Hey" by Fatima Rainey**

**"Waters of March" by Basia**


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